


Choose Your Moment

by rikujo (helphiddlestoned)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, I know no technical skiing terms, M/M, Proposals, Skiing, Spausweek2018, fair warning to anyone afraid of heights: there's a ski lift involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 15:10:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13954257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helphiddlestoned/pseuds/rikujo
Summary: What's the most romantic setting you can think of when you picture getting engaged? It's probably not a ski lift.





	Choose Your Moment

**Author's Note:**

> My first piece for Spaus Week over on tumblr! For some reason it always turns out tragic when I write Spaus in canonverse, so have a fluffy human AU instead.

Antonio looked cold.

No, in fact, Antonio looked _freezing_ , despite all the layers he had on.

He was doing a valiant job at pretending he wasn’t, though, and a small, endeared smile played around Roderich’s lips as they waited for the ski lift. At least Toni wasn’t shivering like he’d been before their first run down the slopes, but his discomfort was still obvious.

“When I suggested a skiing holiday, I meant for it to be a pleasant experience.” he finally said, making Antonio glance his way. “Do I need to lend you my scarf?”

Antonio, true to form, only chuckled and offered him a smile. “Are you worried about me?”

Roderich raised an eyebrow back at his boyfriend. “Am I not allowed to be?”

“Only if it’s silly – it may not be my favourite type of weather but I’ll survive. Besides,” he added, “The actual skiing bit is really fun.” He paused, shrugging. “Though even if it wasn’t the _trip_ still would be anyway.”

Roderich blinked. “How would it be fun if you didn’t enjoy it?”

Antonio full-on beamed. “I’m with you.”

How he’d found someone as impossibly sweet as Antonio he’d never know, but Roderich smiled back, leaning over to give him a quick peck despite the awkwardness of it in bulky skis and with ski poles.

“I’d still rather you enjoyed it for other reasons too.”

Antonio laughed quietly. “I think I can manage that as well.”

They turned back to the queue just in time to see the last two people ahead of them get onto the ski lift and so hurriedly shuffled forward themselves, lining up as the next seat came round on the cable.

Antonio still looked a little unsure when they hopped up onto the metal seat but for Roderich it was a well practised motion. They both managed it, though, and were tucking skis onto the bar below a moment later, their poles kept at their sides as their seat passed out of the boarding station.

It was something he’d always loved, watching the view open up ahead of him, getting to see the glory of the snow-covered mountains from above. He’d been doing it for a long time, after all; he had many fond childhood memories from nursery slopes.

“Wow, the view from this one’s a lot cooler than the last one.” Antonio put in, sitting up straighter to gaze out over the top of the peak in the distance as they cruised towards it.

Roderich smiled as they trundled passed the mid-way point. “Well it is higher up.”

He opened his mouth to point out another set of ski-lift trails crossing the landscape on the still higher peak to their left, but then the ski-lift jerked slightly. His mouth snapped closed as he frowned, holding onto the edge of the metal seat.

That wasn’t normal.

There was then a creak, making his every muscle tense, before the seat ground to a halt. Their eyes met in matching concerned glances as they sat in the new silence.

It was easy to see that every seat on the wire had come to a standstill, though, and after a moment there was a beep, followed by a voice projecting from the loud speaker down at the boarding station. It spoke in clear, calm German and so Roderich relaxed a tiny amount as he took the words in.

“It’s seems there’s a minor problem at the boarding station.” he translated for Antonio. “They’re not saying what but it may just be that someone had an accident trying to get on.” he guessed.

It was the optimistic way of thinking about it, but when thirty feet in the air with an unconfident skier it was probably the _best_ way of thinking about it. Although never someone particularly afraid of heights himself, it was hard to feel _good_ about being left sitting in mid-air on nothing more than a metal seat, though. He frowned at the top of the slope, only twenty metres or so away.

“That’s some bad luck.” Antonio piped up, his eyes too fixed on the top of the hill. “Half a minute and we would have been off.”

“That’s just what I was thinking.” Roderich shook his head. “In all the years I’ve been skiing I’ve never had such a problem – it’s just typical that it should happen the first time we go together.”

What a pall it would cast over their afternoon. He watched Antonio glance down at the snow some way below and then rather quickly back up. He sighed. Skiing was hardly Antonio’s chosen activity anyway and now he wouldn’t blame his boyfriend if he never wanted to go again.

He tried not to feel irritable towards the people running the ski resort, but it wasn’t easy.

“I wanted it all to go perfectly.” he muttered, shaking his head, and Antonio turned towards him with a curious hum. “This holiday,” he clarified. “I hoped that I could introduce you to the sport, that we would both enjoy it, that it might be something we’d do again in future. It’s frustrating.”

“…you thought it that far through?”

Catching Antonio’s open, mildly surprised expression, Roderich felt the tiniest bit of heat enter his cheeks.

“I have a tendency to do that where you’re concerned…to think about my future with you involved.” he reminded Antonio. It could hardly be called an admittance at this point.

A smile played around Antonio’s lips. “Me too.” he echoed. He shifted, leaning into his ski poles a little more. “But you worry too much – a little thing like this isn’t going to put me off forever. The cold might,” he joked, “But a minor mishap on a ski lift isn’t. I know how uncommon this stuff is and I’m sure it’ll start running again soon. It’s not even that high up when you think about it.”

Roderich huffed softly. “Well I’m glad it hasn’t disquieted you.” He couldn’t help pursing his lips, though. “It’s bad on the part of the company that own the ski resort though. If it was caused by someone having an accident it’s a little more acceptable but still.” He could see Antonio looking mildly amused out of the corner of his eye but went on anyway. “The place is hardly cheap and it’s mid-season; everything should run like clockwork, especially on the popular slopes.”

“Do you want to get married?”

Roderich froze.

For a split second, he wondered if he’d imagined the words.

He turned gradually to stare at his boyfriend, his eyes a little too wide, and could do nothing but gape at Antonio’s deliriously happy smile.

“…What?”

“Married,” Antonio repeated, giving a little shrug. “You know, nice suits, good music, a cute reception with everyone we know…would you marry me?” Antonio tilted his head slightly, the smile reigning in just a little as his eyes flicked over Roderich from head to toe. “Will you marry me?” he finished in an earnest murmur.

Their current predicament ceased to exist in Roderich’s mind.

He forgot all about drop below them, forgot all about the tense unease he’d felt only moments ago – he half forgot they were on the ski lift altogether. He simply gazed at Antonio, not quite able to believe the words had come out of his mouth.

“Are you…serious?” he asked at last.

A soft smile spread on Antonio’s lips again. “Completely. I kind of thought that would be obvious by now. I mean, you know how I feel about you.” He reached across and fingers tangled with Roderich’s, squeezing gently. “I’m never going to feel like that about anyone else and I wouldn’t want to anyway.” Antonio’s free hand did lift to scratch at the back of his neck, though, his smile taking on a sheepish hint. “I kind of meant to ask tomorrow, and not on a ski lift, because then I could at least give you the ring and everything, but then you started rambling in that cute way you do and I couldn’t resist, so I just thought—”

Roderich cut off his tirade by leaning over and kissing him.

He grasped at the collar of Antonio’s ski jacket, pulling him closer, and parted his lips to deepen the kiss as Antonio’s arms wrapped around him in return. It was a miracle neither of them dropped their poles, getting completely lost in the warmth of the kiss instead. Into it Roderich pressed every emotion rising in his chest, Antonio’s question playing on repeat in his head.

When they finally parted, they moved barely a hairsbreadth away, Antonio’s breath caressing his lips.

“…Is that a yes?”

Roderich found himself smiling. “It is certainly a yes.”

He felt Antonio’s answering smile rather than saw it, felt it pressed into his own as their lips met once more. “I love you.” Antonio murmured when they pulled apart again.

“I love you too.” he whispered back, but then the ski lift juddered once more. Instinctively, they both grasped tight onto one another.

Thankfully, the cable whirred back to life above them, starting smoothly forward again. They had to fumble for their poles, pulling away far too quickly for Roderich’s liking as they prepared to dismount, and soon they were able to slide off the ski lift and onto solid ground.

Any relief Roderich felt was somewhat overshadowed by the warmth sitting in his chest as they slowed to a stop again, side by side, at the top of the sweeping slope. He reached out to take Antonio’s hands again. He was smiling stupidly, he knew, but so was Antonio.

“…Of all the moments you could have picked.” he said, however, shaking his head fondly.

Antonio let out a bright chuckle. “Sorry.”

Roderich caressed the back of one of his _fiancé’s_ hands with his thumb. “A proposal isn’t something to apologise for. I doubt you could have found a more successful way of distracting me either.”

“It’s pretty memorable too, you have to admit.” Antonio pointed out, grinning,

Roderich just shook his head. “As if I could ever forget it anyway.”

**Author's Note:**

> Probably don't snog on ski-lifts, that doesn't sound very safe in real life. Hope you enjoyed it anyway, kudos and comments are hugely appreciated! I'm anglaisaph on tumblr if you want to pop over ❤


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